DSLR Cameras Shoot in Camera RAW – What the Heck is RAW?

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Is your goal to learn how to take better pictures with your DSLR? Are you wondering why you have this RAW image quality setting on your DSLR camera?First let’s discuss what we know about JPEG. Every digital camera has the ability to record images in the JPEG format. When you look at your camera’s menu, you will notice that there are several JPEG selections, possibly including Fine, Medium Fine, Normal, etc. When your camera is using the JPEG file format, what is essentially happening is that the camera software compresses the image to make the file size smaller. Basically it throws away unnecessary bits of information (these bits of information are called pixels).

Whenever you choose one of the creative camera modes, such as “night portrait” you are telling your camera to use its software record the picture in JPEG format, changing the picture and compressing it digitally.For many of us this is just fine, because many people just want to go from camera to printer with their pictures. And since the creative modes are getting better all the time, it enables the photographer to get really good prints right from the camera.So what about RAW? RAW is a format that stores all the “RAW” data without any compression. Therefore, when you are shooting in RAW, you will notice a major difference in the number of pictures you can get on your storage media – much less photos.After you take your photos, you must transfer them to your computer and use photo editing software such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro to get the effects you want. You may also need to get a RAW converter if you do not have it built into your photo editing software.The beauty of RAW is that you will always be able to return to your original file, because once you make edits to a RAW file on your computer, you will save it into a different file format, such as JPEG or TIFF, thus preserving the original.

Another advantage of RAW is that you have much more image information recorded. So if you are planning to print larger images, there is a good chance that the quality of the print will be better because there is more picture data (pixels) to work with.Bottom line is this. If you are serious about getting the best quality images possible from your DSLR camera, consider shooting in Camera RAW. If you are just shooting to share pictures with friends and family on Facebook or Flickr, you can shoot at a lower resolution in JPEG and use the creative settings on your camera.

1992 Kawasaki ZX6 ZX 6 D Ninja Left Rear Footpeg

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1992 Kawasaki ZX6 ZX 6 D Ninja Left Rear Footpeg

The Left Rear Footpeg (passenger peg on the left side, as you are sitting on the bike). It mounts to the Left Rear Footpeg Bracket, which is in turn mounted to the frame. The Condition of this part is Used.

A used Left Rear Footpeg will be straight, clean and undamaged.

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Reasons Why Businesses Fail – How a Virtual Business Can Help You Beat the Odds!

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There are numerous studies regarding small-business failure rates. Unfortunately, the findings are often vague because, unlike publicly held corporations, most private companies do not report their financial results. One thing is for sure, businesses fail in large numbers, especially small ones:According to a September 2009 “U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy Report” in 2008; there were 627,200 new businesses, 595,600 business closures and 43,546 bankruptcies.A major culprit as of why businesses fail, covered in detail in the book “E Myth” by Michael E. Gerber, is because business owners neglect to put systems in place. The owner-manager has a tendency to work IN her business, rather than ON her business. With the advent of technology, this trend has increased exponentially, especially for those companies who do not adapt to the rapid changes taking place in the business world.To put it succinctly, business owners who fail to adapt, still run their companies based on the Industrial Age business model, rather than the new the Information Age and Knowledge Era. This is a major conflict and speeds up the business failure because if you talked in today’s terms, it would be like using telex machines and telegraphs to conduct day-to-day operations.The solution is then to bring these existing businesses, or create new startups using new age solutions. This means building a business using efficient and inexpensive, sometimes even free, cutting-edge technology readily available for the savvy business owners who is ready to adapt and move their existing or new business ventures into the Information Age and Knowledge Era.Without a doubt, businesses who have adapted have seen huge leaps in progress and efficiencies based on technology. Over the past decade, technology has helped entrepreneurs leverage their time, create process efficiencies, reduce costs massively, and allowed them to maximize business profits to levels never seen before.To date, most of these major technological overhauls have taken place in big corporations with deep pockets. What better proof than to see how their stock values keep raising, even though the rest of the population is seeing one of the worst economic crisis this country has ever seen.The question is then, how do we get small business owners, home based business and new incoming entrepreneurs to embrace and take advantage of the endless benefits technology offers? The answer lies in converting these small business ventures, into virtual businesses. Technology, without a doubt, has changed the playing field and has allowed smaller companies to compete with larger corporations on the same level.In this new economy, it is no longer the big one, but the fast one that wins!A virtual business allows a company to be geographically dispersed. It allows it to meet and support its customers wherever they are located. Employees are no longer constrained to a physical office, but instead, they can work from anywhere, at any time, at any pace; all accessible, networked and coordinated via internet applications.As you can see, with a virtual business, all you need is a computer and internet access to get you going. Anyone can start a virtual business in minutes. You don’t need major start up capital. You don’t need investors. You don’t need to risk months or years trying to break even. You don’t even have to gamble your savings. You can implement sophisticated systems. You can hire the most qualified personnel from anywhere in the world. Most importantly, a virtual business allows you the free time to have a personal life too!

Watts PL-3022 Push Elbow, 3/8-Inch OD

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Allows quick connect connection without cutting small pieces of pipe. 1 piece, no parts to assemble or lose. For copper, CPVC, and PEX (LDPE, MDPE, HDPE) tubing, not for use with steel or in concealed installations. 3/8″ o.d. Tube x 3/8″ o.d. Tube 1 piece, no parts to assemble or lose Quick connect design allows quick & easy connections without the use of installation tools.
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DYMO Permanent High-Performance D1 Self-Adhesive Polyester Tape, 1/2-inch, Black print on White, 18-foot Cartridge (16955)

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The powerful adhesive is permanent for when you want a label to stay put indefinitely. Continuous label cassettes let you create sharp, easy-to-read labels of just about any length. Easy-peel dry edges make for fast and simple removal of protective tape backing. Continuous label cassettes let you create sharp, easy-to-read labels of just about any length. Made in Belgium. Use with LabelManager, LabelPoint, LabelWriter DUO and older DYMO label printers.
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Vivitar Bounce Zoom Slave Flash

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This Vivitar SF3000 Slave Flash can be used for both direct hot shoe photography (when switched to “Normal Mode”) and remote flash photography (when switched to “Slave On”). This flash also features four slave modes that allow it to work with cameras that fire their built in flash instantaneously or cameras that have a single or multiple flash red eye reduction system. Please check your cameras instruction manual to determine which flash system your camera has.
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Nikon D5000: Following the Nikon Tradition

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Nikon’s marketing for their D5000 DSLR camera is pretty simple. They say that it is smart, sharp, and simply brilliant. This is a bold marketing statement for a camera that shares a lot of features with the critically acclaimed D90.The Nikon D5000 is capable of shooting images of up to 12.3 megapixels. Featuring DX format and an active pixel sensor (CMOS), these features are combined with Nikkor optics and Expeed image processing to produce great image qualities. The Autofocus system of this camera can focus on up to 11 points. The old reliable F-mount is still present in this camera, which means that it is compatible to the biggest system of interchangeable photo lenses in history, including more than 400 Nikkor lenses. Image quality during low light situations is also improved due to its ISO sensitivity ranging from 200 to 3200. GPS geo-tagging is also available for this camera, capable of recording statistics such as the location of the image in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude via the use of a GP-1 GPS unit.

The quality of the images created with this camera is just impeccable. And it goes beyond the resolution value of the lens. Low light shooting is now a breeze thanks to a low noise ISO system with sensitivity ranging from 200 to 3200. Also, the Active D-Lighting system restores details and shadows during high contrast exposures. Exposure accuracy is also helped by the presence of 2 systems that Nikon has developed: the 420 pixel RGB 3d Color Matrix Metering II and the Scene Recognition System. To top this all off, the images you capture can now be edited even without the presence of a computer. Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) is also standard for this camera. The D5000’s in-camera image editing system allows you to perform editing techniques such as filtering, perspective control, red-eye correction, among other effects. Various scene modes, exposure modes, and picture controls are also available so you can adjust your image according to a scenario.The mechanics of this camera are also made superbly. A 2.7 inch LCD monitor displays objects and options well. Continuous shooting is also possible up to speeds of 4.5 frames per second while in full resolution. Shutter speed can range from 1/4000th of a second to 30 seconds, and images using flash can be shot up to a speed of 1/200th of a second. In addition, this camera is built tough. You can shoot an average of 510 shots before needing a recharge, and the shutter is tested to be able to withstand up to 100000 cycles.

In addition to these gaudy statistics, it is also the second DSLR camera ever to be equipped with a video function. Even better, the video system, which in the D90 (the first ever DSLR camera with video) is considered limited, is much improved. Videos can be shot in 24 frames per second with to up to 720p HD quality.The Nikon D5000 is one of the best DSLR cameras that you can get for its price range. The options are plentiful, and the quality follows the Nikon tradition of creating excellent imaging tools. Smart, sharp, and simply brilliant indeed.

Highlighting HAMP – Home Affordable Refinance Program

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In case you missed the news, the government wants to keep you in your home; like it or not. They’ve employed several programs to carry out the task, each seemingly more aggressive than the next. Personally the whole thing reminds me of a bad pot of soup. Chef Obama and his sous chef Mr. Geithner keep adding salt and pepper until the whole mess is inedible, all the while wasting the remaining ingredients in the kitchen leaving cupboards bare and guests unfed.The latest push comes in the form of the Home Affordable Refinance Program or HAMP. Per the Treasury press release, the $75 Billion program aims to prevent foreclosures and help responsible families stay in their homes. The program will do so by partnering directly with the lenders carrying non-performing loans, via the GSE’s (Fannie and Freddie), FHA, and the FDIC.How does it work you ask? HAMP will reach from 3 to 4 million at-risk homeowners using a five prong strategy. Here are the highlights:Five Prong Strategy1. Create clear and consistent guidelines for loan modifications2. Require that banks use the US Treasury guidelines when modifying loans3. Allow judicial modifications during bankruptcy when borrowers have no other options4. Require strong government oversight at banks to monitor compliance5. Strengthening FHA programs by providing support for local communitiesWho is Eligible for the Program* At risk homeowners suffering from serious financial hardship. These hardships includes financial shock from temporary loss of income, those experiencing increases in monthly expenses, and/or those suffering from payment shock resulting from an interest rate adjustment or reset on their mortgage. The at risk definition also applies to homeowners deemed “underwater” (with a combined mortgage balance higher than the current market value of the house).* Homeowners facing imminent default of their mortgage. You are not required to be behind on your mortgage payments to be eligible for a loan modification. Quite the opposite in fact. Studies show that modifications are actually more likely to succeed when done by borrowers before they miss payments. Therefore regardless of whether you are current or behind on your mortgage, you may call your lender to request a loan modification.* Owner occupied homeowners ONLY! No flippers – The government calls this a “common sense restriction.” If you are a speculator, which I assume is their broad term for investor, and/or a house flipper you are out of luck when it comes to the HAMP program. This isn’t to say banks won’t modify your loan too, rather the incentives from the HAMP program will not apply.* FHA conforming loans ONLY! No jumbo mortgages – Another of the so called “common sense restrictions” the HAMP program does not help homeowners who needed jumbo loans when purchasing their home. The incentives in the program are targeted towards helping buyers within the FHA loan limits. To clarify, it does not require that a homeowner have an FHA loan, simply that the loan balance fall within the loan limits of the FHA program guidelines.* High debt level borrowers who agree to enter HUD certified consumer debt counseling – This is a special provision for individual homeowners who also meet the other provisions of the program. If their back end debt, which includes all monthly expenses in addition to their mortgage, is equal to 55 percent of more of their total income, homeowners will be required to enter debt counseling to receive a loan modification.How it WorksThe simple goal of the program is to keep homeowners paying on their mortgages. The theory is that most defaults are not a result of homeowners choosing to walk away because they owe too much on their home, rather a belief that these defaults occur because the borrower cannot meet the monthly financial obligation. By adjusting monthly payments, fewer defaults will occur and housing markets will be stabilized.The government and lenders will share the effort to lower monthly mortgage payments to between 31 percent and 38 percent of a borrowers’ gross monthly income. The first burden will be on the lenders with the government batting clean up. Steps involved in reaching this goal are as follows:1. Lenders will reduce interest rates on the current loan to as low as 2 percent hoping to reach DTI ratios of 31 percent2. If interest rate reductions don’t accomplish the goal, amortization periods will be extended to 40 years to reach the proper ratio3. If after completing steps 1 and 2 DTI ratios still have not reached 31 percent, lenders may forbear principal at zero interest until ratios are met4. the federal program will supplement lenders efforts by sharing the costs involved with reducing ratios from 38 percent to the desired 31 percent ratio5. modifications will be kept in place for 5 years. After 5 years interest rates can be increased by 1 percent each year to the conforming loan survey rate in place at the time of modification.Incentives for SuccessAs incentive to loan servicing companies, the HAMP program will reward each servicer with an upfront fee of $1,000 for each successful modification made within the guidelines. Further servicers will be given an additional $1,000 per year up to 3 years, called a “Pay for Success” incentive as long as the borrower successfully remains in the program. These success incentives will also be available to servicers who modify, FHA, VA, or agriculture department loans, and/or refinance loans according to the Hope for Homeowners programs.Lenders and servicers willing to reach out to borrowers not currently in default may receive an additional $2,000 incentive payment ($1,500 to mortgage holders and $500 to servicers) by completing successful loan modifications before a borrower misses a payment. Borrowers themselves will receive further incentive by successfully staying in the modification program. An additional $1,000 per year, up to five years, will be given to borrowers going straight towards reducing the principal balance on the mortgage loan.Addressing Further Value ErosionOne of the outstanding issues concerning lenders is the risk of further value erosion if modifications fail and they are forced to ultimately foreclose at a later date. To address that issue the US Treasury Department will fund up to $10 Billion dollars for a program set to partially offset losses realized by lenders who experience steeper losses on foreclosed loans after completing a modification. Structured as a simple cash payment, it will be received by mortgage holders on each modification, linked to the declines in the home price index.Junior Liens Although junior lienholders are not required to participate, lenders and servicers participating in the HAMP program will receive additional incentive to extinguish junior liens in order to reduce the overall indebtedness of the borrower. Servicers will be reimbursed for the release according to a specified schedule and will receive an additional $250 payment for obtaining the release from a valid second lienholder.Thoughts and Issues Preferential treatment towards one class of borrower and geographic inequity across the 50 states are the two most glaring problems with the HAMP program. Although well intended and very much needed in the residential markets, the program will continue to be viewed as biased and raise resentment among the majority of borrowers, currently not eligible for the program. Clearly directed towards homeowners in the most dire of circumstances and with the fewest alternative solutions, wealthier borrowers and more sophisticated professional investors are left to fend for themselves.If lenders and the federal government encourage HAMP qualifying borrowers to place themselves in a better financial position by changing the terms of their agreed up on loan, and then paying them to do so, shouldn’t wealthier borrowers and investors be encouraged to do the same? If one group of borrower is “villainized” while others are forgiven for the same behavior isn’t it human nature for that first group to protect themselves against perceived unfair attacks?The message of the current administration is hope and change. Those of us encouraged by the message hoped that change would apply to all of us equally when reflected in public policy. Their required agenda includes the stemming of a financial meltdown in the financial markets driven by catastrophic losses in the residential real estate markets. Unfortunately the piecemeal approach to the problem has only encouraged more bad behavior by many who feel left out or villainized.In theory we all pay taxes and we all have an equal vote. In practice the policies and programs which spend tax payer money and address issues facing all groups of American citizens should be available equally and without bias or should not exist at all.